Avatar II: The Age of Peace
by HisJoy
Summary: This Story is about life after the 100 year war. There will be new family members who learn how to take up the torch of peace given by their parents. Most of all, watch as Aang teaches a new generation of air benders! A/K, So/Su, Z/M, Te/To
1. New beginnings and vision

Hello, if you are reading this right now then I am really honored

**Hello, if you are reading this right now then I am really honored. This is my first story that I have ever written down. If you read this story and think "Man, she really needs to put in a lot more of work on this, PLEASE don't be afraid to tell me!! **

_**-HisJoy**_

**P.S. The characters, places and events in this story that you recognize from the show belongs to Nickelodeon. Thank you!! **

Avatar II

The Age of Peace

**Year 7 into the age of peace**

Chapter 1

The Sky was getting darker by the minute as all of the red's oranges and purples of the sun started disappearing in the horizon. But it did not seem like that to the couple abroad what seemed like floating ten ton animal in the clouds. In fact, to Katara instead of the sun moving farther away from them it seemed to be getting closer as she and her companion were headed west to Ember Island to reunite with their closest friends and family.

"We'll be there soon Katara, how are you feeling?"

Katara looked down at her bulging stomach then looked over at her husband of two years. "I'm fine Aang, a little tired though, I wish we didn't have to leave so late."

Aang replied understandably "I know what you mean, it just seems like everyone _plans _on having a problem "only the avatar can fix" right when the avatar is about to make his leave."

Katara laughed and looked over at her best friend, husband and soon to be father of her child with a reminiscing smile on her face. She just could not believe how well and how fast time went by for her and Aang. It just seemed like yesterday when she and her brother found Aang in the ice-burg, and since then he has mastered all four elements, defeated the Phoenix King Ozai and ultimately brought peace and order back to a war-torn world.

He's not only grown into such a great avatar but a great man too, starting as a goofy twelve year old kid who was her best friend to the nineteen year old man who is her husband and soon-to-be-father of their first child. Katara could not be anymore prouder of him.

Aang was looking back at her now; he noticed the smile and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"oh" Katara came out of her musing and said "I was just thinking about how far we've come, how much you've grown, and what a wonderful father you are going to make."

Aang looked down at her ever-increasing belly and started thinking about the vision he had of the little water-bending girl who looked just like Katara and had his eyes.

_Vision: He was walking down an icy path, ICE, just the concept of so much water in one place still amazes him as he looked around at all of the icy slopes and the snow covered ground. He was so confounded by everything around him that he didn't notice when he walked right into something hard...of course it wasn't until he fell to the ground and heard an identical grunt did he realize he didn't hit _something _but _someone_. Will there be no end to his clumsiness!? He was just going to look up and apologize to the innocent bystander when he froze at the site of the most unusual and beautiful silver-grey eyes he had ever seen. He froze just looking at the eyes that reminded him of the mountains he seen on his journey with Master Shi. He was so entranced with those eyes that he did not notice that the mouth who owned them was speaking to him. Then suddenly there was this sharp cold sensation in the back of his head..._

And that is when Aang wakes up. Aang spent much time contemplating and meditating on this vision. The scene he saw through his eyes seemed so right and so wrong at the same time. It was as if he was the boy who ran into the girl but he was not. While Aang was meditating, he was able to conclude that the boy he was in the vision was the same age as the girl, he unceremoniously ran into and she looked to be about ten or eleven. When Aang was ten he was still living in the Southern air temple more than 100 years ago so this could not be a memory. Not to mention he could not think of a time when he was ever confused and astonished by snow and ice. The Scene in his vision looked like it was South Pole and he has been there millions of times, why would he be surprised by anything about it?

The girl in the vision caught his interest the most though; Aang felt that there was something very important about her. Not just with the fascination he showed as the boy in the vision but as himself personally. That is when he noticed in his meditating that she looked just like Katara with his eyes. It just felt right in thinking that this girl was his and Katara's daughter. Yet, who was the boy and why did he see the vision through his eyes as if they were his own? Aang did not want to think of the events that would have to transpire for this vision to become real, so he kept trying to put it in the back of his mind.

Katara noticed him contemplating and staring into space and asked "Now what are _you_ thinking about?"

"Oh" Aang said jumping in surprise, "I was just thinking that if your daughter is anything like you I'm going to have to start developing a violent nature to any boy who even _looks_ at her the wrong way."

Katara snorted at his comment and replied, "Well if your son is anything like you he is going to have to develop a violent nature just to keep the mob of girls off his back."

Aang and Katara both laughed at their long-standing joke. Since the beginning of the pregnancy, Katara declared that she knew they were going to have a boy.

Aang asked, "What makes you think it's a boy anyway?"

Katara answered, "Oh, just a hunch, this baby flies around in my stomach so much that he _has_ to be his father's son." "What about you, why do you think it's going to be a girl?"

Aang thought about the answer to this question. He did not want to tell Katara about the vision he had so he said "Just a hunch." and smiled.

Katara was just about to ask another question when Aang burst out saying "Katara, look we're here!" She smiled relieved, looked straight ahead and saw Ember Island.


	2. Parenting

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"When do you think they're going to get here?"

"Soon Sokka!" Suki cried irritatingly to her husband while also trying to feed the fussy 1-year-old girl in front of her.

"C'mon Min you like carrots don't you?" Suki cooed to her daughter.

However, Min was giving her mother a stubborn look that Suki had seen before on her father. Suki was just about to make another attempt with the spoon full of orangey goo when SPLAT! A spoonful of yellow goop was splattered on her cheek and it came in the direction from the high chair next to her daughter's.

"Jun! That's not a way for a prince to act!" Cried the second baby's mother, Mei.

"Not unless he's running an army, in that case good shot son!"

Famous last words for Fire Lord Zuko, as he cringes in fear of the two murderous looking mothers in front of him, one of them being his wife.

Until there was a snort of laughter from the other side of the table where Min's father was also having fun at his wife's expense. Therefore, Suki, with "the look" on her face, stopped his laughing immediately.

Pleadingly Sokka replied, "Well it was kind of funny considering he _may_ run an army one day."

Beseechingly Zuko also added "Yeah, and I was only trying to be...be...an encouraging father?"

"Encouraging!" cried Mei, "You are not encouraging _this_ are you?!" Mei asked as she was starring threateningly at her husband.

"Yeah are _you_!?" asked Suki as she was intensifying "the look" onto Sokka.

"No!" cried Sokka and Zuko at the same time as they started rambling...

"Of course not!"

"Why would I do that?"

"That wouldn't set a good example!"

"That was a really bad move son!"

Teo was hiding his snickers and grin in his table napkin, while Toph was just laughing outright on how these big strong men were cowering from two women. As Suki cleaned off the offending baby food, the dinner conversation continued.

"I hope Aang and Katara will make it before dinner gets cold," said Teo who was looking at over the two empty chairs next to him and to his new wife Toph.

"Knowing twinkletoes, he and Sugarqueen probably weren't able to leave until Aang fixed every little problem "only the avatar can fix," and knowing some of the pig-heads in Ba Sing Se most of those problems probably came up right when they were about to leave," replied Toph.

If only Toph new how true that statement really was. The rest of the table agreed with her all knowing Aang well enough to know that he would never turn down a cry for help.

The group sitting down at the table consisted of three couples and two infant children. At the head of the table sat Fire Lord Zuko, although he did not look much like the Fire Lord right now since he was in a relaxed environment with his friends and family. To his left sat his newly wed friends Teo and Toph. Teo was at the end of the table, next to Zuko, so it would be easier for his wheelchair to slide into, and next to him was his wife of three-months Toph, whom at that moment gave a large belch of satisfaction to the food.

On Zuko's right sat his wife of four years, Fire Lady Mei, who was at that moment correcting her 15-month old son prince Jun, sitting on her right, on how to hold a spoon properly. On the other side of Jun sat Little Min, who had just turned one recently, still refusing to eat her carrot baby food. The unfortunate mother trying to get her daughter to eat her vegetables was non-other than Suki, leader of the Kyoshi warriors on Kyoshi island. Then on her right, opposite to the head of the table, sat her husband of three years Sokka. Sokka was at that moment, staring at the two empty seats beside him. The seats that are supposed to occupy his very pregnant sister Katara and her husband Aang, the avatar.

Sokka, in his over protective brotherly voice commented, "Even so, I hope everything is ok, Katara might have been off on her due date, I hope nothing happened on the way here."

Suki, smiling at her husband and his protective nature and loyalty to his family, reassured him saying "I'm sure they're both fine Sokka, Katara is really strong and Toph is probably right about Aang. Everybody probably wanted his help right when he was about to leave and they probably got a late start."

Sokka turned form the empty seats and smiled at his wife saying "Yeah, your right, like always."

Suki replied teasingly "And don't you forget it!"

"So how far along is Katara now?" "She must at least have about a couple weeks to go right?" inquired Mei, who had not seen Katara and Aang since Toph and Teo's wedding.

"Katara would probably say she has at least four more weeks left, but considering how she looked last time I saw her, I wouldn't be surprised if she had half of that time." replied Suki who had seen Katara and Aang a month ago on a family visit.

"So it's possible that the first air bender born in over 100 years will be here in about two weeks?" inquired Zuko.

There was a moment of silence at the table, everybody contemplating the possibilities of what a new generation of air benders would do to restore the balance of a world that went through a century war, until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock and a voice at the front door asking

"Hello, anybody home? We're here!"


	3. Arrival and hunger

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"_Hello, anybody home? We're here!"_ Kartara shouted as she walked into the spacious sitting room of the mansion summer home. She looked back at Aang and asked again "Aang are you sure you don't need help with any of those?"

Aang, who was now loaded down with two bulky gigantic bags that practically covered his face, was just about to reply when he almost dropped his load from the shock of three shrieks of joy coming from the dining hall. Two of the shrieks weren't that bad considering that they came from a pair of small—not to mention—very cute toddling babies happy to see their "Aunty Kata and Unca Aangy!!" It was the third member of the shrieking gang that made their cheeks turn red and their eardrums sore as Katara's older brother Sokka came soaring out of the dining hall to meet up with his baby sister.

As his overenthusiastic brother-in-law was crushing Katara, Aang was still trying to balance the hefty bags he was carrying. Just when he was about to have a tumbling accident, two strong pale arms came up from in front of him and grabbed the toppling bag just in time.

"Need some help there Avatar?"

"Anytime your highness." Aang replied sarcastically to Zuko. Because they have been such close friends since the end of the war, it was always comical whenever they tried to address each other in formal titles.

"I know, I know, it's good to see you too Sokka, but can you please let me go, I do need to breath for _two_ you know!" wailed Katara, as Sokka was letting her out of the bone-crushing hug he was putting her through when she came in.

"Well you are at least six hours late! I thought you were going to leave from Ba Sing Se in the morning?" inquired Sokka.

"Well we were but we got held up by some last minute business, you know how it is." Aang answer for Katara as he was balancing the remaining bag that was left.

"I think we can make a pretty good guess." Answered Toph as she was walking into the sitting room with Teo in tow, following to two women each carrying a fussy baby crying out "Aangy! Kata!"

When Aang noticed this his face lit up with joy and he quickly said "Here Sokka, hold this for a second." as he left remaining bag with Sokka, who almost fell with the surprise weight, and ran over to his niece and honorary nephew with his wife closely in tow.

"Ahh!! That can't be my favorite little niece Min!! Oh my gosh your huge!" gushed Katara as Min gave her aunt a toothy little smile.

"Jun! Hey little man how is it going? Geese, you're so big, you're probably ready to take over for your dad right now aren't you?" Everyone laughed at Aang's comment.

Zuko counter "And your probably right too, at least where all of those Bureaucrats are concerned, all he needs to do is cry and he'll get through with whatever he wants." Everyone laughed even harder after this comment and started catching up with each other on all of the news, updates and current events when there was this very loud rumbling sound.

"Was that you Katara?" questioned Teo.

"No I don't think so." Katara answered, until it came again and everyone looked over to a sheepish and hungry looking Aang as he was holding his stomach when it gave another roar.

"Ummmm, is dinner still being served?"

Everybody grinned and started leading both Katara and Aang to the two empty chairs in the dining hall, to finish their meal.


	4. IT'S TIME?

Hey

**Hey! Please review and tell me whether or not I doing a good job. Grammar is definitely not my forte, so I can use all the help I can get. ******

**The characters, places and events in this story that you recognize from the show belong to Nickelodeon. Thank you!! **

Chapter 4

"Higher Aangy!! Higher!!" cried Jun, as Aang was jumping up and down at least ten feet in the air on the windy morning in front of Zuko's beach side mansion on Ember Island.

Aang laughed as he once again started for lift off and zoomed straight up into the atmosphere with little Jun in his arms. _"Maybe when he's older his parents will let me take him on my glider with me." _Aang thought.

The said parents were at the moment enjoying some rare romantic quality time with each other sitting out on a red blanket starring out into the waves with a cool breeze brushing their faces.

After the last shriek from Jun, Mei lifted her head off her husband's shoulders and asked, "Are we being responsible parents by letting Aang jump ten feet into the air with our son in his arms?"

Zuko looked back at her then listened to the next shout of joy that came from his son and said, "At least Aang isn't brining him out on his glider."

They both looked at each other for a moment in silent agreement, and then went back to their lazy, romantic quality time with each other.

Just a couple feet away, closer to the waves of the ocean sat Sokka trying to teach his daughter Min on how to build the "perfect sand-castle."

"Alright Min, The trick to this is to have the right texture of sand—Min!! What do you think your doing?!"

Min, not being very interested in the texture of the sand, only cared that she it got everywhere and anywhere on her father.

"No Min, you can't bury me in the sand right now, I'm trying to teach you a very important lesson!" Sokka wailed as he took away the shovel from Min.

Min did not like it when her favorite activity was taken away from her so she started to do what most one year olds do when they don't get what they want "WWWWAAAAHHHHHH!!"

Sokka immediately gave back her shovel and said, "Here I think you missed a spot."

Then Min just went right back to work on burying her father in the sand.

Several feet away, watching from a balcony in the mansion, Katara and Suki were laughing at Sokka's parental antics.

"She certainly has him wrapped around her little finger doesn't she?" asked Katara as she and Suki were leisurely lounging on some of the deck chairs along the balcony, sipping some lemonade.

"He has his moments; he is so protective of her. I feel sorry for all of the men in her future.," replied Suki.

Katara smiled at that comment, reminded of all of the teasing she and Aang have done with each other through her pregnancy. She glanced over to were Aang was having fun with Jun and sighed. Suki noticed this and asked.

"Everything alright with you and Aang?"

"What? Oh yes everything is fine at the most part. Aang just seems to be very contemplative and secretive lately."

"Really, how so?" inquired Suki.

"I don't know really, ever since I found out that I was pregnant he's been meditating a lot, and I've been catching him getting lost in his thoughts just by starring at me or at my abdomen ."

"Hmm, maybe this is Aang's way of being afraid for you and nervous about being a new dad." Suki responded hopefully.

Katara thought about that for a moment and looked over at Aang, who was now using water bending to surf the waves with Jun in his arms, and replied, "That might be some of it, but not in the way you think. Somehow I think he is afraid for me, but not just from the pregnancy, and I cannot see Aang ever being afraid to be a father."

Suki agreed with this but asked, "What do you mean by 'he's afraid but not just from the pregnancy'?"

"That is what I _wish_ I understood." Katara replied.

Suki reassured her saying "Well, give him some time. All fathers respond differently when their wives are pregnant. Take Sokka for example, for the longest time he would not let me do anything while I was pregnant with Min, and I do mean _anything_. He went through this faze where he wouldn't even let me _walk_ anywhere!"

"Are you serious!" cried Katara

"Yes! It was during my last week, and he thought it was going to hurt my feet too much and move the baby around to hard if I walked on my own."

"So you just went no where for a whole month?" incredulously asked Katara.

"No. I would not stand for that, so Sokka ended up carrying me everywhere! It's a good thing I only had a week left, poor Sokka, he almost broke his back!!" laughed Suki

Katara was laughing so hard tears were coming out of her eyes. "I can't believe I never knew that! Aang and I must really be out of touch with the family for me not to here that story until now!" wailed Katara, still laughing at the image of her ridiculous brother carry around his nine-month pregnant wife in the market.

"It has been a while since you and Aang have made a family visit.," added Suki

"I know what you mean; Aang's avatar duties keep him on his toes all the time. It is almost as if the world needs him even more now than it did _during_ the war. There a treaty that needs to be signed there and then a dispute that needs to be settled here.," explained Katara.

"And you guys are always traveling aren't you?" asked Suki.

"In a way yes, the average time that we've stayed in one place since our marriage is from three weeks to one month. Once the world starts getting used to being at peace and the baby starts getting a little older we're going to look into buying a house in each the more frequent places we've been visiting. We're even looking into renovating the Southern Air temple so Aang will be able to teach the baby air bending." explained Katara.

"How do you know the baby will be an air bender?" asked Suki.

"Ohh, Just something about the way this baby moves in my stomach. He's practically _flying_." Katara answered.

_"He?"_ Suki inquired jokingly.

Katara started chuckling herself as explained, "Aang believes we're having a girl, I think it's going to be a boy, call it a mother's intuition. We are both so confident of our guesses that we agreed that I would pick out a name if it's a girl and he'll pick out a name for a boy." Katara clarified.

"What names did you two pick out?" Suki asked.

Katara was just about to answer when there was this sudden sharp pain coming from her abdomen.

In the next room from the mansion sat the newly weds, Teo and Toph spending some "quality time" with each other on Teo's wheelchair when suddenly Toph looked up with a worried look on her face saying "Oh no, Katara!"

Teo asked, "What's wrong Toph? Can't this wait?"

"Waiting is the last thing we can do now! Come on I feel that Katara needs some help!"

They rushed through the house to where the balcony is and saw Katara on her knees with Suki trying to comfort her. Toph yelled out "I can _feel_ the first contraction from all the way in the other room! Is it time!?"

Suki just looked up in surprise then looked back at Katara when she screamed "YES!!"

This is when Suki got over her shock and took charge "Right! Teo, go down to the beach and tell Mei its time and that we need her help in Katara's bedroom and then tell the boys that we need some hot water and blankets! And make sure Aang doesn't go crazy!"

Teo just stared at her and Katara in amazement for moment when suddenly all three women yelled at once "NOW!" and he was off.

"Toph! Help me get Katara to her bedroom!" Sukki ordered and Toph complied.


	5. Vision and Avatar Roku

Chapter 5

**Hello Everyone,**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, put me on their "favorite author's list" and put my story on their "favorite stories list!" I am so honored, this is my first fanfic and I never thought people would actually **_**like**_** it! Well I wrote this chapter out yesterday, but I did not like it, so I decided to sleep on it and I changed it around the next day. Trust me it is a lot better now than it was before. I hope you all like it too! Don't forget to review!!**

**Once again, the characters, places and events in this story that you recognize from the show belong to Nickelodeon. Thank you!! **

Chapter 5

_Vision (Ch.1): He was walking down an icy path, ICE, just the concept of so much water in one place still amazes him as he looked around at all of the icy slopes and the snow covered ground. He was so confounded by everything around him that he didn't notice when he walked right into something hard...of course it wasn't until he fell to the ground and heard an identical grunt did he realize he didn't hit _something _but _someone_. Will there be no end to his clumsiness!? He was just going to look up and apologize to the innocent bystander when he froze at the site of the most unusual and beautiful silver-grey eyes he had ever seen. He froze just looking at the eyes that reminded him of the mountains he seen on his journey with Master Shi. He was so entranced with those eyes that he did not notice that the mouth who owned them was speaking to him. Then suddenly there was this sharp cold sensation in the back of his head...(End of Vision)_

"What can be taking so LONG!?" Aang cried out for the 23rd time in that hour alone, while pacing the whole length of the upstairs sitting room.

"Settle down Aang, these things take time. Besides, women need their privacy when it comes to giving birth." Counseled Sokka.

"When did _you_ become a baby-birthing expert Sokka?" Zuko asked incredulously.

"Well...you know I've seen my fair share of births." Sokka replied arrogantly.

"From what I've heard from Toph you've only seen one, and you _fainted _from it." Teo added in. He had his wheel chair stationed against the wall in between Sokka and Zuko.

Zuko laughed and Sokka replied resentfully "Well, that is _how_ I know that you are definitely not missing anything Aang...Aang?"

Aang was at that moment sitting in a chair, his head bent over with his face in his hands looking very downcast. The men in the room were a bit unsure what to do or say, until Zuko spoke up and asked "Hey Aang, is there something you want to talk about?"

Aang looked up to Zuko, and then he looked over to both Teo and Sokka and said I need to tell you guys something. Aang started to explain about the vision he had been receiving and talked of his suspicions about it.

"So, you're pretty sure this girl in the vision is your daughter." Teo asked in his contemplative voice.

"Yes" Aang replied solemnly.

"And this boy whose eyes you see from." inquired Zuko, "You believe he is _you_ is your next form?"

"Yes" Aang replied, only a little more forceful.

"And what has you afraid is the feeling that sometime right after your daughter is born you are going to die and leave Katara with the responsibility of raising a child on her own?" questioned Sokka.

"YES, YES and YES!! I AM GUILTY! I SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF MYSELF!"

"Aang?"

"HOW COULD I DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!"

"Aang?!"

"I LOVE KATARA AND OUR BABY MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD AND HERE I AM ABBANDONING"—

"AANG!?" The sound of his name finally snapped him out of his rant as he looked up to the short-tempered fire bender.

"Do you even hear yourself right now!? Your blaming and condemning yourself for something that hasn't even happened yet and might _never_ happen!"

Teo spoke softly "Aang, we know what your feeling right now and—"

But Aang interrupted "No you don't! I already failed the people I loved once before! I cannot do it again, especially not to Katara and our child!"

"Well it sounds like you've already failed them just by condemning yourself to this vision!" Sokka replied coldly.

Aang looked up to Sokka in surprise and put his head down in shame. Sokka just stood there with his arms crossed with an angry look on his face. Zuko and Teo looked between the two friends awkwardly, what were they supposed to say now?

Finally Zuko spoke up and said "Look Aang, there is a lot about this vision that none of us understand, maybe its time that you seek some higher power."

Aang looked to Zuko in confusion. Zuko asked, "Is there a way you can still ask avatar Roku for guidance."

Aang thought about it for a moment and replied, "I can try." Aang went to the middle of the floor and sat down in his meditative state, concentrating on entering the spirit world.

_The Spirit World:_

_Breath in and breath out, inhale and exhale...There was a bright and yet a not so bright light coming from anywhere and everywhere around him. Aang felt this sensation of floating. Then a dreamlike voice called out his name,_

_"Aang."_

_"Roku?" Aang looked up and saw his past form._

_"Aang, you are in need of my wisdom?" _

_"Yes" and Aang bowed to the wise avatar, "I need to know what my dream means. Why am I being shown it? And what can I do stop myself from dieing?!"_

_Aang was panicking and hysterical by the time he finished his question. Avatar Roku calmly looked at him for a couple of minutes, which seemed like hours to Aang, and replied, "You already know the answer to your first question."_

_Aang looked up to Roku and replied you mean the girl in the vision really is my daughter?" Roku nodded and Aang went on "And the boy...is he...?" Roku looked at Aang sadly and nodded._

_"Nooooo!" Aang cried out "Please tell me WHY? Why am I being shown this?"_

_"Not even I can pretend to understand why Fate chooses to demonstrate to us the way it does, but what I do know is that it always has it reasons." Roku explained._

_"How can I stop myself from dieing?" Aang desperately inquired._

_"Did the vision show you dieing." Answered Roku._

_"Well...no...it didn't. But it Implied it! And in the worse possible time too, I leave Katara alone with our first born child to raise!!"_

_Roku asked calmly "Did this vision tell you that the girl is the child that is about to be born tday?"_

_Aang thought about it for a moment and said "Well...no. I didn't any get any impression at all of the year these events were taking place."_

_"Exactly, that is because you are not meant to know and therefore you are not meant to stop them." _

_Aang looked to Roku downcast and asked "Then why am I being shown them?"_

_Roku looked at Aang in the eyes and explained "Aang, did you know that when I was a young avatar I had visions of _you_."_

_"What?!" Aang asked flabbergasted_

_"Now, these vision didn't me tell everything about you or what was going on in the world at the time, they only showed me images and sounds of a very few prominent events in your life which I saw through your eyes as if they were my own. Every avatar, when they come into the prime of there reign, are shown visions of their next life so that they might prepare the world for the next avatar and prepare themselves to give guidance to their next form whenever they shall be in need of it. Just like in the way, I come to you."_

_Aang looked down still a bit unsure. Roku kept on talking "Some of the visions I had of you are how I knew Gyasto will be an important figure in your childhood."_

_Aang looked up shocked and asked, "You saw Gyasto in one of your visions of me?"_

_Roku smiled and said, "Yes, after I saw what an impact he will be in your life I made more of an initiative to stay friends with him, long after I left the Southern air temple."_

_"But you said I am being shown some prominent events that will happen in my next life. What will my daughter have to do with the next avatar?" Aang curiously asked._

_Roku replied "For you to have seen a vision of your next form with your daughter in it must mean that she will have a very important role to play in your next life."_

_Aang asked "What kind of role?" But Roku just shrugged and said "You'll find out eventually."_

_Aang was still reeling over all of the information he was given, when Roku said, "The time we have together is coming to a close."_

_Aang looked up startled and asked "Why so soon? I have so many other questions! What will happen to Katara and our baby after I die?!"_

_Roku looked to him and said, "I think I have already given you all the information I can give. The rest of your answers need to come from the ones who care about you the most. Besides if you don't go back soon, you're going to miss one of the most important events of your life."_

_Aang thought back to Katara and the baby and felt that the time was soon. Aang agreed with Roku and was just about to leave when Roku gave one last bit of advice._

"_Remember Aang, These visions are not so you can stop them from happening but so you can prepare the world for the next avatar and to prepare yourself to guide the child within them. Do not view these visions in _trepidation_ but in _preparation_."_

Aang felt himself slowly coming back to his body. Zuko and Teo were surprised to see Aang had come back from the spirit world and started toward him. Sokka was still just sitting in the corner with his arms crossed starring coldly into the wall. Aang saw this and started to walk toward him first. Zuko saw this and said "Aang maybe that's not such a good idea right now." But Aang just held up his arm, and kept walking over to Sokka.

"Sokka?" Sokka did not move. Aang just went on "Sokka I know why you are upset. It is because it seemed like I have already condemned myself to dying and leaving all of you. But I want you to know that I understand these visions a little more now and I have accepted them. I have not comdemned myself only accepted them. The girl in the vision may not even be the baby who is being born today but I know she will someday be born. But until that time I'm not going to go _looking_ for my death but I'm not going to _hide_ from it either."

Aang looked at Sokka a little bit more to see if there was any reaction, there was not so he went on. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I know I going to die someday, we all are, but I know Katara is going to need a lot of support from when I die, so I need you to promise me something." By this time Aang was _forcing_ out the words he was trying to say "I need you to promise that you will be there for Katara and my child even—" but before Aang could finish Sokka suddenly turned around grabbed Aang by the upper arms and held onto him in a bone-crushing hug.

Aang was shocked and asked tearfully "But I thought you hated me!?"

Sokka emotionally replied, "I don't hate you, I hated that you seemed to have given up, and I was afraid of loosing my little brother and of my baby sister being widowed and heart broken! You also should have known from the beginning that if anything ever happened to you I would take of Katara!"

"And so would we." put in Zuko and Teo was nodding along with him.

Aang looked around at the men who have been his comrades, friends and now family for the past seven to eight years. He now understood what Roku meant when he said that the answers to his questions about the welfare of Katara and his future children lay in the hands of the people who care about him. Aang smiled content and was just about to say something else when he was interrupted by baby's cry that came from down the hall.

He just stood there mesmerized by the sound of his newborn child. "Aang?" Aang looked over and saw Teo; he asked, "Do you think we should tell Katara of what happened today."

Aang thought about it for a moment and said "I don't want to worry her, especially now." He then looked over at everybody else in the room and said, "I would prefer that this information not leave this room at all, only if it is on a _need_ to know basis. Understood?"

Everybody in the room agreed and then looked up, because there was a knock at the door.


	6. Are You Ready?

Hello

**Hello!!**

**This chapter took a little longer to come out because I have just started school, and the internet jack in my dorm room is broken!! AAAAHHHH! Pray for me! I love this chapter though; I really tried to bring in a lot of the emotion that was felt on the day my little niece was born. She was the most beautiful baby ever, and the whole world just seems to be a happier, more blessed place when she is in the room. Every child is a miracle (especially her)********.**

**The characters, places and events in this story that you recognize from the show belong to Nickelodeon. Thank you!!**

**P.S.**

**Since school has once again started up, I might not be able to update this story as much as I would like. Sorry!! But I **_**will**_** finish it!! I always hated it when I would read this great story online then the author just decides to abandon, so I will not do that to you!!**

Chapter 6

Mei carefully closed the door to the sounds of a newborn baby's wail. Smiling to herself, she headed toward the sitting room down the hall where the new father of the child was waiting. Seeing the look on Katara's face, when she first gazed at her new baby, reminded Mei of what it was like when Jun was born. She was not very keen on having _too_ many children in the beginning of her marriage, but now she wondered what Zuko would think when she told him she might want to have another baby someday. Mei laughed softly at the incredulous looked she imagined would be on his face as she knocked on the door to the sitting room.

**(Inside the Sitting Room)**

Everybody looked up because there was a knock at the door. Aang looked over nervously as Zuko went to answer it. Mei walked into the room with a smile on her face. That smile suddenly turned into a frown as she saw all of the emotionally tense looks on the guy's faces.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

Zuko quickly replied, "Everything is fine, just nerves."

Mei nodded and looked over to Aang and asked, "Are you ready?"

It was amazing what three little words can do to Aang's already nervous state. "Are you ready?" had so many different meanings for him in a time like this,_ "Am I ready to be a father?"_,_ "Am I ready to take care of all _three_ of us instead of two?"_ and most importantly _"Am I going to be ready for whatever future fate has planned for me?" _Yes, it really was amazing what three little words to do to Aang's mental strain.

Sokka spoke up, rambling off question after question, "How is Katara? Did the birth go...smoothly? Is the baby ok? Is it a boy or a girl?"

Mei almost had trouble keeping up with him, until Zuko put his hand over Sokka's mouth so that Mei can get in with a word or two. She answered, "Katara is just fine." With this, Aang let out a sigh of relief. "The birth went _beautifully_." With this, Aang let out some of the tension in his shoulders. "The baby is absolutely _perfect_." With this, Aang was able to go into a relaxed posture "And as for whether the baby's a boy or a girl..." Aang started to hold his breath. Mei gave them a mysterious smile and said, "I'll let Katara tell you that one."

Simultaneously all of the men in the room started to groan, Aang being the loudest. Mei reassured him, "You can find that out now Aang, are you ready?"

"_There's that question again."_ Aang answered, "Lead the way."

Mei smiled and started guiding Aang out of the room toward the suite of rooms he and Katara were given upon their arrival. She opened the entrance to the suite of rooms and let out the sounds and smells of the new life within it.

Aang just stood there at the doorway for a moment, unsure of himself. He looked over across the room and saw Toph standing near the window crying and smiling at the same time. Aang was shocked by the condition that Toph was in (mostly because he had never seen her before in such a state).

Toph felt him standing there and defensively said, "You'll understand soon enough."

Aang was led over to the next room of the suite where the bed was and stopped dead in his tracks. Suki was off to the side cleaning up and smoothing out the bed sheets. Katara was lying down under the bedspread, smiling tiredly at Aang with a little bundle, wrapped in the blue water quilt she made during the duration of her pregnancy, in her arms.

"Hi dad." Katara said, signaling for Aang to come closure.

Aang shook himself out of his stupor and forced his feet to move forward. He marveled at the glow that seemed to flush upon is wife right at that moment and wondered _"What did I do to deserve such a beautiful women?"_ and then he turned his eyes to look upon the small figure lying in his wife's arms. Aang didn't know when, and he didn't know how, all he knew was that right at the same moment when he first looked upon the wrinkly scrunched up face of his child, the whole world seemed to stop turning. _His child!?_ Nothing else in the world can be more amazing than the concept that this was _his child!_

Katara watched him as he became mesmerized by the miracle within her arms. She was so taken by the scene in front of her that she didn't have the heart to start gloating when she said "Aang? Are you ready to meet your new born son?"


	7. Parenting is HARD! But worth it

The characters, places and events in this story that you recognize from the show belong to Nickelodeon

**The characters, places and events in this story that you recognize from the show belong to Nickelodeon. Thank you!!**

Chapter 7

(The next morning; in the waiting room)

"What can be taking so long!?" Sokka wailed as he was pacing around the living room of the suite Aang and Katara were living in.

"Is he always this impatient?" Mei whisper quietly to Suki as they were both sitting next to each on the couch waiting patiently to visit with the new family.

Suki replied "You don't know the half of it." while Zuko, Teo and Toph were nodding their heads in agreement.

"I heard that!" Sokka cried out in indignation.

"Sokka, honey just calm down! Give Katara and Aang some time alone with their new baby, you'll see them soon enough. Your acting more like a baby than Jun and Min is! " Suki replied in her annoyed reasonable tone.

While the grownups were bickering like children, the actual children in the room were sitting on the floor in front of their parent's playing with their toys. Suki had given Min a little paper fan to play with and Min was waving it around, trying to practice the same fighting moves she had seen her mother do. Jun was watching Min play with the fan when he spotted something red outside the window. Being the curious child he is, and having a certain fascination with the color red, he started using what motor skills he had and wobbled his way toward the pretty red flower. Min, never being one to be left out of _anything_, started following him.

The adults were still bickering amongst themselves while the two toddling children were headed toward the window where the bright red flowers were. Jun was excited to find out that there was a chair right up against the opening to the window giving him easy access to the bright red pretty flower. It took awhile, but eventually Jun was able to climb up the chair so he can reach the flower outside the window. Min watched him curiously from behind. Jun was now reaching out the window toward the red flower bush trying to grab the pretty red flower when suddenly, his grip started to loosen and the chair started to move backward from his weight.

Just when Jun was about to go head first out the window—"WOW there little man!" Toph cried out as she caught Jun around the waist just in time. At that moment, all of the attention in the room was centered toward Toph pulling Jun back to safety.

There was complete silence for a full three seconds when two sets of parents started running toward their respective child.

"Jun! What do you think you were doing?! You could have been hurt!" Mei was frantically gushing over her son. She turned an accusing eye over to Zuko and said, "I thought you were watching him!"

Zuko cried out defensively saying "I thought _you_ were watching him?!"

Suki was cooing all over Min kissing her forehead and cheek saying, "Oh, Min thank goodness you weren't hurt!"

"Talk about acting like children.' Sokka reasoned amongst the chaos. "If it weren't for you Toph, there would've been a very serious accident over here."

Toph was holding Teo's hand when she replied "It was nothing; it would've been very easy to miss if it weren't for the fact that the chair scrapped along the floor. If that hadn't happened I would never have known that they were even gone from their spots."

"I guess that still proves that even _we _have long way to go to being completely adults." Zuko said thoughtfully, just being relieved that his son was not hurt. Mei, now that she was calmed down from her panic, smiled softly at him. Zuko looked over to his son once again just to be sure that there weren't any injuries on him when he noticed that Jun was still trying to reach for something over his mother's shoulder, outside the window.

Sokka noticed this too when he asked, "What was he trying to reach for anyway?"

Zuko went over to the window and noticed the bright red flowers outside. He wanted to just kick himself, all of this turmoil over flowers! He picked the closest flower toward the window and went back to his son. He bent down going eye-level with him saying very seriously "Now Jun. Do not go off by yourself again! You could have been hurt! Next time you want something you need to come to me or your mother! Do you understand?" Jun was looking up to his father tearfully, when Zuko noticed this he started to smile softly, gave Jun a kiss on his forehead and gave him the little red flower from outside the window. Jun squealed with happiness and fascination as he examined the little flower given to him. Mei gave him an adoring smile.

"We're all are going to need to watch out for these kids as the years go by." Teo put in.

"Yeah! Can you imagine what they'll be like when they are older?" Toph added in. Just the thought of those words sent chills down everybody's spine.

"And if Aang and Katara's new baby is an air bender, just think of all the trouble they all will get into." Suki finished.

There was silence after that, as all eyes went toward the bedroom door that was now opening.

**Hello!!**

**Did you all miss me? I hope so because my primary "Love Language" is "Words of Affirmation" and I love getting encouragement from my stories, (hint, hint)! School is crazy but I love it, I will be starting field experience soon so, again, I might not have time to update a lot in the future, but if I see many people really like this story then I will probably continue. This chapter was meant to foreshadow toward future chapters. When I named Zuko and Mei's son Jun I was not naming him after that bounty hunter woman from the show, I just thought it was a cool name for a prince. In Chinese, it means "ruler, supreme." The next chapter will be all about the new baby and foreshadowing toward his future. So stay tuned and tell me whether you like this story or not. I love to hear nice encouragement but I also would not mind some constructive criticism. Thank you for reading!**

**-HisJoy**


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